


Towerfall

by FlightOfInsanity



Series: Destiny 2 [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Destiny 2, spoilers for the beginning of the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 14:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12134880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlightOfInsanity/pseuds/FlightOfInsanity
Summary: Lox has a no good, very bad day.





	Towerfall

“Ready?”

Liora glanced back down the hall toward their rooms. “Should we wake Lox up?”

“We’ll give her this one day off,” Mava said. “Might actually get more done if she’s not there to stir up trouble when she gets bored.”

She grabbed her helmet in one hand and scrawled a quick note with the other. Tossing the tablet into the middle of the couch where it would be more easily seen, she beckoned to Lio.

“Come on, best get going if we’re going to get all these patrols done.”

 

* * *

 

Lox woke to a completely empty apartment. Thunder rumbled outside as she shuffled into the main room looking for her teammates. It wasn’t like them to let her slack off on patrols. Forcing Lox to get up and out the door on time seemed to be a favorite hobby of Mava’s at the very least. An out of place tablet caught her eye and she scooped it up, waking the screen up as she did.

_You’re welcome. Enjoy your day off and stay out of trouble. -M2_

Lox smiled at the note and it quickly turned into a yawn. She might end up staying out of trouble by just going back to sleep. The storm raged again and she frowned at the window. Whatever she ended up doing, she certainly wasn’t going outside in that weather.

“Monday, what time—”

The Tower lurched and shook as a series of explosions rang out from far overhead. Lox stumbled sideways before regaining her balance and her gaze shot toward the ceiling.

“Monday?”

She knew her Ghost would be sifting through all alert and emergency channels looking for information or orders from the Vanguard. It was only a moment before he responded but it felt like ages.

“The City is under attack. The channels are chaos, but early reports are saying Cabal?” He sounded as confused as she felt.

The Tower shook again, more violently this time, and she felt the prodding in her mind as Monday urged her to action, saying, “Tower-bound Guardians are being ordered to assist with evacuation unless otherwise told. All ships are being appropriated to speed the process.”

So much for a day off.

“Ugh. Usual guns. Solar. Full bones.” Lox rattled off her loadout and could feel Monday’s disproval. She hoped he wouldn’t argue.

“Lox.”

She was wrong.

“Not only is your sniper a terrible weapon for evacuation, you _know_ the risks of wearing that many bones at once.”

“Monday, we don’t have time for this right now. The City is under direct attack and I _do_ know what I’m doing and I am _not_ going into battle without my lucky sniper. Loadout, now.”

The smallest of digital sighs and her requested armor and weapons materialized around her. The whispers were loud and immediate, but she pushed them aside and felt Monday helping, as she dashed out the door and sprinted for the stairs up to the plaza. Other apartments on their floor had been just as hastily abandoned by the resident Guardians – doors hung open and items had been dropped and discarded in the hallways.

It was not easy reaching the plaza deck. People were rushing down the stairs as she tried to climb up and the debris got worse the higher she climbed. She paused a few floors below the main plaza as an odd sound reached her through the helmet’s speakers. It sounded like a massive creature groaning in the walls and a steady vibration was just noticeable through the floor.

“What--?”

“Move! Move! Back down!”

Monday’s panic was enough to get her going without question and he elaborated as she sprinted back down the last few flights of stairs they’d just gone up. The groaning ceased and a few seconds later was followed by a massive crash and shudder in the floor beneath her. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling as the lights flickered and went dark.

“The hell was _that_?”

“The Tower starting to collapse.”

For the first time in a long time she didn’t know what to say. The Tower was _The Tower_. For as long as she’d been a Guardian it had been here. Her home and a beacon of safety for the City below. And now it was collapsing. Falling to this new invasion.

_Respond with teeth._

“Lox!”

She shook her head to clear those thoughts. She needed to focus. “What?”

“Instructions from Cayde-6. They’re throwing a strike team at the command ship. We’re to meet Amanda for transport aboard.”

A marker appeared on her HUD and she set off again. “Tell him we’re on our way.”

If it wasn’t easy getting to the plaza before it was even worse after part of the Tower had collapsed. For as damaged and ruined as the inside was, it wasn’t until she hit the outside that she truly understood just how bad the situation was. It seemed like anything that wasn’t collapsed was on fire and there were bodies scattered all around – both Cabal and civilian.

Lox looked up and noticed, for the first time, the massive fleet of ships in the sky above, trailing smoke and launching missiles into the City below. More than a few Guardian and civilian ships were engaging the smaller Cabal vessels in aerial combat.

For as much as she would have loved Mava’s ward on call, suddenly she was very glad her team was safe on patrol instead of being here.

Their rendezvous point wasn’t far off and she sprinted for it as fast as she could. Being outside made covering the distance much easier, as she was no longer limited by walls and ceilings. The Cabal patrols they encountered fired at her as she dashed by, but she paid them little attention other than tossing down the occasional grenade.

Entering the small courtyard she almost didn’t notice the volley of missiles aimed at the door and she dropped, skidding ungracefully into the courtyard. The distinctive clang of solar hammers rang out from somewhere above her and she got up in time to watch a Titan rain hellfire on the Centurion who’d been shooting at them.

As he turned back, she gave a small nod. “Amanda?”

He nodded. “Hell of a day, huh?”

Lox snorted. “Understatement, I think.”

They both looked up as a small ship lowered down to the courtyard and then Lox looked back to the door she’d come through.

“No third?”

The Titan shrugged. “Can’t wait if there is.”

It was a fair point, but she would have preferred a third. Another Titan, maybe. Or a stormcaller. Something mean and loud.

The flight up to the command ship was nerve-wracking to say the least. Amanda was an astounding pilot, but with the way the little airship lurched and bucked, Lox thought they were definitely going to crash. It sounded like they’d hit more than a few other ships on the way up.

She and the Titan fought fairly well together as they cleared out the inner levels of the ship. They split up midway through – he went to demolish the shield generators and she went to begin a sweep of the rest of the vessel. The Vanguard seemed to be planning a massive volley attack on the ship, but it wouldn’t hurt to make sure its commander was _definitely_ dead.

Somehow she found a door that led to a broad flat deck on the ship and as she looked out she noticed the massive claw-like device attached to the side of the Traveler. Monday’s fear and confusion added to her own unease and she slowly stepped onto the deck, looking up at the Traveler, dreading whatever that device was.

Monday sparkled into view and she wanted to smack him. This was _not_ a safe place for him to be out in the open.

 _You have no need_ —

“How do we come back from this?”

Whether the quiet statement meant the claw, or the Tower, or the City she didn’t know. She didn’t get a chance to find out as a deep voice rang out behind her.

“You don’t.”

Its speech was snarled and rough and decidedly fitting for the Cabal she found towering over her when she turned. Lox took a step back, Monday floating along with, and tightened her grip on her rifle. This Cabal was seemingly unarmed and wore no helmet, but radiated more danger than the two armed guards behind it. It swept a hand up toward the Traveler and she couldn’t help herself following the gesture.

A massive, honeycombed orange mesh grew out from the claw and surrounded the Traveler. Its color shifted yellow and she felt like she’d been gutted. She wasn’t sure she could still breathe. Her weapons and armor were suddenly far too heavy and she staggered and collapsed to her knees.

Monday might have said something, the Cabal might have said something. She wasn’t sure. She thought the whispers were talking but she didn’t understand. Her world was white noise and confusion.

A shadow and a suggestion of movement and she looked out, noticed Monday laying on the decking, lights dim and flickering and she reached out. His shell was heavier than she remembered as she drug him over and clutched him to her chest.

The Cabal was close now. Too close.

**_O, bearer ours—_ **

**_No need for him!_ **

**_We can give you what you need!_ **

Lox didn’t see the kick that connected with her ribs but she felt pain and found herself flying, slamming back into the deck, skidding a few feet further.

**_Get up!_ **

**_Respond with teeth, O, Huntress!_ **

**_Let us help you, Bearer…_ **

She shook her head and tried to push all the whispering voices aside as she struggled to her feet. She had barely a moment standing upright before a powerful backhand sent her flying again.

The ship’s decking was as unyielding as it had been the first time she landed on it and she bounced up after the impact. Monday’s shell slipped loose from her hand and she barely caught a glimpse of him dropping from the edge of the ship. Her cry caught in her throat as her own momentum carried her over the edge and off the ship and she was falling, falling, falling.

Wind howled around her and the Cabal ship rushed away into the sky, disappearing into the smoke and clouds.

She tried to reach for her Light, to reach for Monday, but there was nothing to be found. Emptiness sat where her Ghost should have been.

Briefly, she wondered about the Titan on the Cabal ship. Wondered if he was alive. Who he had been.

At least her team was safe somewhere else.

The ground rushed up to catch her and she thought she saw teeth in the sky.

 


End file.
